Steps To Take Toward Diabetes Prevention

From health.clevelandclinic.org

Focus on exercise, healthy eating and weight management to help lower your risk 

Diabetes affects millions of people in the United States. So, it’s normal to wonder: Can you prevent it?

Endocrinologist Mary Vouyiouklis Kellis, MD, shares six ways to help you reduce your risk and breaks down which factors you can — and can’t — change.

Can you prevent diabetes?

Diabetes happens when your blood sugar stays too high over time. There are several types, but the main forms are Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease and generally isn’t preventable. Type 2 diabetes happens when your body can’t use insulin properly. This is called insulin resistance. You can help limit this resistance with lifestyle changes.

“Several factors contribute to insulin resistance, some of which you can change, like your weight and eating habits,” Dr. Kellis says. “Preventing Type 2 comes down to lowering your overall risk.”

Here’s where to start.

6 ways to prevent Type 2 diabetes

You can take steps to prevent Type 2 diabetes. Just know that it’s more of a marathon than a sprint. It involves long-term healthy habits. Dr. Kellis details the six goalposts of T2D prevention.

1. Get regular exercise

Moving your body regularly helps lower your blood sugar level in both the short and long term. It can also support a healthy weight.

“The general recommendation is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week,” Dr. Kellis explains. “A mixture of strength training and cardio is the most beneficial.”

The key is finding forms of exercise you enjoy. And you don’t need a gym membership to do this. Activities like yard work, dancing and even lifting loads of laundry are all forms of physical activity.

2. Eat nutritious foods

What you eat can affect your blood sugar more than you might think. Some foods — especially ultra-processed ones — can cause sharp spikes. Focusing on balanced meals over time can help lower your risk.

Providers often point to eating plans like:

• The Mediterranean diet, a flexible plan that leans on fresh, plant-based nutrition
• The DASH diet, a plan that encourages less salt
• The plate method, a way of using your plate to manage food portions

Nutritious, balanced meals are beneficial for everyone, whether you have diabetes or not.

“We all need to focus on a healthier lifestyle,” Dr. Kellis notes. “Aim for meals that include a mix of protein, vegetables and complex carbs.”

3. Maintain a healthy weight

Excess body fat, especially in your belly and around your organs, makes it hard for your body to use insulin.

“Obesity is one of the most significant risk factors for Type 2 diabetes that you may be able to modify,” Dr. Kellis states.

So, what’s a healthy weight for you? It’s not the same for everyone. But two measures can help point you in the right direction: Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.

If you have a higher BMI or waist circumference, you can still make changes.

“Any weight loss can be beneficial to blood sugar management,” Dr. Kellis encourages. “Even losing as little as 5% of your total bodyweight can help.”

4. Don’t smoke

Smoking causes inflammation in your body, which can raise insulin resistance. Compared to people who’ve never smoked, those who smoke are nearly twice as likely to develop prediabetes.

From benefits like diabetes prevention to lowering your risk of cancer, avoiding smoking is a great way to protect your overall health.

But if you smoke, there’s still hope. About 10 years after quitting, your risk of Type 2 diabetes can drop to the same level as someone who’s never smoked.

5. Sleep well

Studies show sleeping fewer than seven hours at night is linked to increased insulin resistance.

“People often underestimate the power of a good night’s rest,” Dr. Kellis says. “It has profound impacts on many aspects of your health, including your blood sugar levels.”

Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep. The quality matters, too. If you still feel tired after hitting this target, you may have a sleeping disorder. See your provider for help.

6. Manage stress

Stress floods your body with hormones that spike blood sugar (looking at you, cortisol). A lot of stress over time increases insulin resistance.

There are a bunch of ways to manage stress, ranging from deep breathing to spending time outside. Find what works for you. If stress feels overwhelming, talk to your provider about it.

When to get help

Even if you do everything “right,” you can still develop Type 2 diabetes. That’s because some risk factors (like age, genetics and race) are out of your control.

This condition tends to develop slowly, so it’s helpful to see a provider for regular check-ups. They’ll offer screening tests to track changes in your blood sugar levels over time.

If Type 2 is unavoidable in your case, try to be kind to yourself. And know that you can still be proactive.

“The sooner you get a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis and begin management, the more likely you’ll avoid long-term complications,” says Dr. Kellis.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-prevent-diabetes

Prediabetes: 7 Warning Signs of an Under-the-Radar Condition

From essentiahealth.org

Type 2 diabetes can sneak up on you. Why? Prediabetes, the condition that often comes first, is stealthy. It usually doesn’t cause symptoms, enabling it to go undetected.

Symptoms can occur, though, and identifying them can help you bring prediabetes out of the shadows. Learn how to spot the warning signs and get a head start on preventing Type 2 diabetes.

What Is Prediabetes?

You have prediabetes if your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. In other words, you don’t have diabetes, but without taking action, your blood sugar may keep rising toward those levels.

Medical providers typically diagnose prediabetes using a pair of blood tests.

 

Test	Normal Range	Prediabetes	Type 2 Diabetes
Fasting plasma glucose	99 or lower	100 to 125	126 or higher
A1C	Lower than 5.7%	5.7% to 6.4%	6.5% or higher

 

“The main cause of prediabetes is difficulty making or responding appropriately to insulin, depending on the type of diabetes you are developing,” said Dr. Ryan Morgan, family medicine physician at Essentia Health. “Insulin is a hormone that helps sugar travel from your blood to your cells, which turn it into energy. Prediabetes usually happens when the body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use insulin effectively. As a result, sugar stays in the blood, and your blood sugar levels rise.”

Be Risk Aware

The vast majority of the 115.2 million U.S. adults with prediabetes don’t know they have it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Knowing your risk of developing prediabetes can stop this condition from keeping you in the dark. How? You can inform your primary care provider (PCP) about your risk factors. Your PCP can help you reduce them and monitor your health closely for signs of prediabetes or diabetes.

You have a higher risk of prediabetes if you –

• Are age 45 or older
• Are Asian American, African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander American
• Aren’t physically active
• Had heart disease or a stroke
• Had gestational diabetes
• Have a family history of diabetes
• Have a higher body weight
• Have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, or polycystic ovary syndrome

Prediabetes Warning Signs: What to Watch For

In most cases, prediabetes doesn’t cause any symptoms. Still, knowing what to look for can help you identify warning signs if they occur.

“The sooner you spot potential prediabetes symptoms and take action, the better,” Dr. Morgan said. “In addition to increasing your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes also raises your risk of heart disease and stroke.”

Left untreated, prediabetes can turn into diabetes within five years, the CDC reports. If you notice signs of prediabetes, don’t delay. Tell your PCP, who can confirm the diagnosis and recommend how to prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Watch for these seven prediabetes warning signs:

1. Blurry Vision

The eyes are some of the many tissues from which high blood sugar can steal fluid. When that happens, your eyes can struggle to focus.

2. Fatigue

Excess sugar that stays in your blood doesn’t get converted into energy. That can leave you feeling drained.

3. Frequent Urination

Excess sugar may enter your urine, robbing your tissues of fluid along the way. The result: You feel thirstier, leading you to drink (and urinate) more.

4. More Active Appetite

If you don’t have enough insulin, insufficient sugar reaches your cells. As a result, your brain tells you to eat more, making you hungrier than normal.

5. Poor Healing

If you get a cut or scrape, it needs oxygen-carrying blood to heal. High blood sugar can disrupt blood circulation, slowing healing.

6. Rapid Weight Loss

This happens because cells are not getting the fuel they need, so they start using fat cells for energy.

7. Skin Changes

“Insulin resistance can cause a skin condition called acanthosis nigricans,” Dr. Morgan said. “People with this condition may see their skin darken in their armpits and groin, or on their neck, hands, or knees.”

Throw Prediabetes in Reverse

If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes, the march toward diabetes isn’t unstoppable.

“You can change course,” Dr. Morgan said. “Partner with your PCP, who can help you create a plan to reverse prediabetes.”

Your PCP will likely recommend healthy lifestyle changes, including these steps –

• Avoid blood sugar-spiking foods and beverages. These include foods high in added sugar (such as candy and baked goods), simple carbohydrates (such as chips and white bread), and sugary beverages (such as fruit juice and soda).
• Give your diet a healthy makeover. Eat more foods that slow glucose absorption, which can reduce your body’s demand for insulin and stabilize your blood sugar. These foods include vegetables, healthy proteins (such as Greek yogurt and skinless chicken), and complex carbohydrates (such as brown rice and sweet potatoes).
• Lose weight. Dropping excess pounds can enhance your body’s use of insulin and improve other conditions that contribute to prediabetes, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
• Move more. Work up to performing 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days of the week. Regular physical activity will help you lose weight and improve heart health.

Key Takeaways

Prediabetes increases your risk of diabetes but doesn’t make it inevitable. Here’s what to know –

• Prediabetes occurs when your blood sugar levels are too high but still below the threshold to qualify as diabetes.
• Most people with prediabetes don’t have symptoms, but several may occur, including fatigue, an increased appetite, blurry vision, and more.
• You can reverse prediabetes by building healthy habits, such as exercising regularly and following a nutritious diet.

https://www.essentiahealth.org/about/essentia-health-newsroom/primarycare-prediabetes-7-warning-signs-to-know

 

Jamie Oliver is right – this is how much fruit and veg we really should be eating every day

From The Conversation UK

By Catherine Norton

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has stirred debate by calling the familiar five-a-day message “a lie”. Speaking to the Times, he argued that the real health benefits of fruit and vegetables only start to add up at seven, eight or even 11 portions a day.

He’s not wrong that more is better. Research shows us that the more servings of fruit and veg we eat per day, the more benefits we see to our health. But the story of how five servings became the standard recommendation is one of science meeting pragmatism.

When the five-a-day campaign was launched in the UK and Ireland more than 20 years ago, it was never meant to be the “perfect” target. Instead, it was a compromise – a number that struck a balance between the nutritional evidence and what public health experts thought people might realistically manage. Five portions was judged by researchers and marketeers to be a simple, memorable and achievable slogan – one that wouldn’t scare people off.

Today, five-a-day is one of the most recognisable public health messages – even if most UK adults still fall short of it.

But it may be time for this messaging to change, as a growing body of research shows that higher fruit and vegetable intakes are associated with lower risk of chronic diseases.

A meta-analysis of over 2 million people found that while five portions lowered risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, the greatest benefits were seen at around ten portions of fruit and veg daily. Another UK study found that people eating seven or more portions of fruit and veg each day had a 42% lower risk of death compared to those eating less than one portion.

Excellence rarely comes from doing the bare minimum – and the evidence suggests we should be aiming higher.

                           It’s clear that eating more fruit and veg daily has health benefits.leonori/ Shutterstock© The Conversation UK

Japan has long recommended ten (and more) portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Mediterranean countries, too, traditionally eat diets rich in fresh produce, beans, and legumes. Research suggests that populations that follow these dietary patterns tend to have lower rates of heart disease and longer life expectancy. Similar associations between higher intakes of fruit and vegetables and lower risk of death from any cause are reported in Japan, too.

The research is clear: higher intake of fruits and vegetables everyday brings tangible health benefits. So while five portions is a good starting point, aiming to include more fruits and vegetables into your daily diet will bring even greater health benefits.

What counts as a portion?

But some confusion lies in what a “portion” really means. The World Health Organization defines one portion as about 80g – roughly a handful. That could be an apple, two broccoli spears, three heaped tablespoons of peas or half a tin of beans. When you break it down like this, eight to 11 portions across three meals and snacks becomes less intimidating.

There are also many easy ways to add more fruit and veg every day. For breakfast, try adding berries to your cereal, a banana to your porridge or spinach in your omelette. For lunch, add salad to sandwiches, beans to your soup or extra veg into wraps.

Double up portions at dinner by eating two or three sides of veg, or bulk up sauces and curries with lentils, peppers or mushrooms. Snack smart by reaching for fruit, veggie sticks with hummus or roasted chickpeas instead of crisps.

You should also aim to eat a rainbow of different fruits and vegetables across the week, as variety is associated with even greater health benefits.

There’s a common myth that only fresh fruit and vegetables count. In reality, frozen, tinned (in water or natural juice) and dried all have a place. They can be cheaper, last longer and often retain just as many nutrients as fresh produce.

Juices and smoothies count too – but only as one portion a day because of their sugar content.

The five-a-day message is a starting point, but not the finish line. Anything is better than nothing – and if you’re eating just one or two portions now, getting to three or four is progress.

But the science is clear: more really is better. Jamie Oliver may be ambitious in suggesting 11 portions, but he’s right that aiming higher could bring big health gains.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/jamie-oliver-is-right-this-is-how-much-fruit-and-veg-we-really-should-be-eating-every-day/ar-AA1LTqH0?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6a0563fd008a49309ea15af40df924b8&ei=11